Machine for enameling plates and the like



R. H. PRICHARD.

MACHINE FOR ENAMELING PLATES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9,1920.

Patented July 26, 1921.

1SHEETSSHEET l R. H. PRICHARD.

MACHINE FOR ENAMELING PLATES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 9,1920.

Patented July 26, 1921.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

E WWI n .9- fW/E/QTOR 7 R. H. PRICHARD.

MACHINE FOR ENAMELING PLATES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1920.

1,385,492. a ent d July 26, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

R. H. PRICHARD.

MACHINE FOR ENAMELING PLATES AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1920.

1 385,492. Patented July 26, 1921.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' monmr: ron nunmnnme PLATE-s AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. v Patented 1 26 1921 Application filed January 9, 1920. Serial No. 352,227.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronnn'r H. PRICHARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Enameling Plates and the like, of Which the following 1s a specification.

My invention relates to and has for a main object the provision of a machine for applying a plurality of coats of paint, or enamel, successively to articles having flat or embossed surfaces, such as metallic plates in a continuous operation, in order that the complete painting or enameling operationmay be effected in the shortest possible time.

My improved machine is particularly adapted to apply enamel to signs or license number plates of'the character used for antomobiles, said plates having heretofore been coated with a clay enamel, or otherwise made at an excessive cost to the State, and an ob-v ject of this invention therefore, is to provide means for enameling said plates in a thoroughly satisfactory manner, in large quantitles and with facility and despatch so as to eflect a substantial saving in the cost thereof.

A further and separate object of this invention is to provide a plurality of inclosing drying areas, or zones, intermediate said units, together with suitable conveyer means whereby the plates may be successively fed and moved flat-wise from the first to all succeeding units in a battery for receiving in order their several coats of paint or enamel, only one of the sides of the plates being coated in a single operation and the uncoated sides of the plates being in contact with a supporting element so as to expose the freshly coated sides to the drying means.

Another object is to provide in connection with said drying zones, or areas, forced draft apparatus whereby air currents may be set up within the inclosures and around said plates for drying the same quickly, means being also provided in said inclosures for heating the air, if necessary or desirable, so as to more quickly effect the drying thereof. Other objects may appear as the description progresses.

Reference is had to my oo-pending application for patent for method of enameling plates and the like, filed January 9, 1920,

Serial No. 352,228.

In the drawings appended hereto and to which reference is had in the specification for illustrating one practical embodiment of my lnvention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machme;

2 is a plan of the same;

Flg. 3 1s a longitudinal section of the same;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan of an intermediate enameling unit and connections with the other units, said view being typical to the other units in so far as the enameling mechanism is concerned;

Flg. 5,is a sectional elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional elevation of the sameon line 77 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary right hand elevat1on of one of the enameling units;

Fig. 9 is a similar hand elevation of the same; 1

Fig. 10 is a transverse section of the drier on line 10.10 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a transverse section of the same on line 11-11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of the enamelmg and forwarding rollers with supporting members omitted;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of said enameling rollers and fountain.

I have employed similar characters of reference throu bout the specification and in the several views of the drawings for indicating the same and like parts.

Brlefly described, my invention comprises a plurality of substantially spaced enameling units A, B and C, these three units only being shown in the drawings, and connected by means of drier units D and D, said enameling units having means for applying coats of enamel, or paint, and said drying units having means for moving the enameled articles from one to the other of said units in succession for receiving successive coats of enamel.

Each enameling unit has a tank T for holding a suitable quantity of enamel and a separate motor M for individual operation of the units. The drying units have stacks S and S and fans F and F, respectively, substantially spaced from said stack and supported opposite or in air inlets I, and I, whereby forced draft may be created in the drying zones. Heating elements H and H may be carried in the inlet portions I of the drying zones and connected with electric, as or other sources of heat, and the fans will force cold air from the exterior of the driers through the inlets I and the driers D and D and u wardly through and from the stacks S and Thus the articles are applied with a first coat, then moved throu h the drier D, then applied with the second coat and moved through the drier D, then applied with a final coat and moved from the unit C on a belt Z from which the articles are removed and examined for defects and then placed upon suitable trays, or receptacles, in readiness for the final baking operation, for hardening the enamel.

The enameling units A, B and C are substantially alike in all respects except that unit A has a table t attached thereto at which an operator may sit and feed the plates P, P, etc., into said unit. Each of said units has a pair of like frame members 1, 1, held in spaced relation by means of a plurality of rods, 3, 3, etc., attached at their opposite ends to said frames. The legs, 4, 4, of said frame members are attached to runners 5, 5, on the floor, which runners preferably extend the entire length of the machine for carrying all of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The enamel tank T, is carried upper ends of the frame members 1, 1, on a transverse rod 6, of square cross section which is attached at its ends to said frame members and slidably holds a bracket 7, which may be suitably attached to the bottom of the tank. Beneath the tank T, a pair of enameling rollers 8 and 9 are rotatably held on shafts 10 and 11, respectively journaled in the frames 1, 1, and carrying meshed gears 12 and 13 on the end thereof at one slde of the frame. Adjustable bearings 14, 14, are provided for the shaft 11, so that the roller 9 may be ad'usted relative to the roller 8, and this a justment is accomplished by means of screws 15, 15, carri in caps 16, 16, on frame members 1, 1, and slots 17, 17 in said frame members in which the bearings 14, 14, may be adjusted.

Rod 6 also carries a air of wipers 18, 18, which are flat-blade-li emembers and are adapted to engage and clean the enamel from the ends of the rollers 8 and 9, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13. The enamel from the tank is fed through a suitable pipe 19 and valve 20 to/a pan, or trough 21 suspended below roller 8 by means of hangers 22, 22, which have screws 23, 23, at their upper ends adapted to engage the uppersides of rod 6. The ends 24, 24, of the pan 21 have slots 25, 25, formed therein adapted to engage the shaft 10, and it will thus be ob vious that the pan is held firmly in position beneath the roller 8 when the screws between the 23 are tightened and the pan is drawn up wardly so that the shaft 10 seats in the bottoms of the slots 25. The pan may be removed from its position by loosening the screws 23.

The enamel is applied to the articles, P, etc, by means of a ir of rollers 26 and 27 carried, respective y, on shafts 28 and 29. Roller 27 is rigidly held in position and its shaft 29 has bearings in the frame members 1, 1, and a gear 30 is carried on one end thereof which is adapted to mesh with a gear 31 on the end of shaft 28. Shaft 28 is eld in adjustable bearings 32, 32, which are slidably disposed in slots 33, 33,in the frame members 1, 1, and are capable of adjustment by means of screws 34, 34, through the caps 16, 16, of the frame, thus holding roller 26 adjustable relative to roller 27. Gear 31 on shaft 28 meshes with ear 13 on shaft 11. Roller 26 has a peripheral layer of composition 35 thereon which is of the character usually provided on inking rollers of printing presses and the like and is adapted to contact with the periphery of the metallic roller 9 for receiving a coatin' of enamel therefrom.

orwarding rollers 36, 37 and 38 are provided between members 1, 1, and the peripheries of said rollers and of roller 27 are ta nt to the same horizontal line, as shown 1n Fig. 5. Rollers 36, 37 and 38 are carried, respectively, on shafts 39, 40 and 41 journaled in frame members 1, 1, and gears 42, 43 and 44 are carried on the ends of said shafts, as shown in Fig. 8. Gears 42 and. 43 mesh with and are operated by an idler gear 45 carried on a stud 46 on frame member 1 and said idler gear meshes also with gear 30 on shaft 29. Gear 44 is operabl connected with gear 30 by means of an i ler ar 46 on a stud 46' on frame member 1. hus all of the rollers of each unit are similarly driven.

The driers D and D are supported on frames 47, 47 and include inclosed channels 48, 48,.surrounded by metal as shown, except at points adjacent to the units, A, B, and C, WhlCh are open at the top for affordin g access to the articles. Belts 1), b, operate over the floor of the channels and over rollers 49, 49, at their front ends carried on transverse shafts 50,50, in bearings 51, 51, attached to the frames 47 47 and at their rear ends over rollers 52, 52, on shafts 53, 53, also supported on said frames 47 47 in bearings 54, 54. Additional rollers 55, 55, are provided at their rear ends of said belts 011 frames 47 47 over which the belts b, b, are directed forwardly of the machine over adjustable rollers 60, 60, for regulating the tension of said belts. Rollers 60, 60, are carried in suitable bearings 61, 61, attached to the horizontal members of frames 47, 47.

The belt rollers 49, are operated by means of gears 62 on the ends of 'the shafts 50 which mesh with gears ,46, as shown in Fig. 8. The rollers 52 are operated by means of sprocket chains 63 connecting sprockets 64 and'65 on shafts 53 and 38, respectively. Motor M of. each of the units is connected with a countershaft 66 carried in bearings 67 attached to frame 47, by means of a belt 68 operably connecting the motor pulley 69 with a driven pulley 70. Shaft 66 also carries a smaller pulley 71 which is operably connected with shaft 38'by means of a belt 72 and ulley 73 on said shaft.

It wil be understood that each of the enameling units may be separately controlled by individual electric switches and that all of said motors may be simultaneously controlled-by a master switch.

The driers D and D have stacks S and S, respectively, at the forward ends of the inclosed channels and air inlets I and I at the opposite extremities, as hereinbefore stated. The fans F and F are mounted upon the tops of the driers and the fans proper either within or adjacent to the mouth of the inlets so that forced drafts of air may be drawn from the exterior of the driers and forced through the inclosed channels and upwardly through and out of the stacks S and S, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The stacks should be of sufficient height to provide a natural draft throughout and the heating elements H and H may be suitably connected with any source of heat for providing temperatures in excess of that in the room in which the machine is located. The purpose of this is to facilitate the drying of the articles as they are moved over the bolts 1), b, from the successive units A, B and C, etc., otherwise it would be impossible to apply a second or subsequent coats of enamel on the articles without delaying the operation.

The operation of the belts, b, I), is at a slow rate of speed so as to effect as thorough drying of the enamel as possible in a continuous operation. In the form of machine described, three units being shown, it will be understood that only the first and second coats of enamel are subjected to the drying process in the machine, the third coat being dried by means exterior of the machine. The articles, P, P, etc., are moved on a final belt Z, at the rear end of unit C, said belt operating over the roller 49 of said unit and a spaced roller /7 4 carried on a shaft 75 in bearings 76, 7 6, on the horizontal member of frame 47. After the application of the final coat of enamel, the articles are examined on the bolts Z and removed therefrom, after which they are deposited in order upon suitable trays and baked.

I have shown in Fig. 2, the articles, P, P, etc., as representing the result of the application of the different coats of enamel. or instance, the articles on the table 1 are shown to be White and free from enamel; the article shown as emerging from the units A is shown to have a light coloring thereon; the articles emerging from unit B are shown to have a slightly darker coloring, and the article on belt 5' is shown to have a dark color after having received the final coat of paint.

The opposite sides of the units, A, B and C, which carry the gearing, etc., are inclosed with safety guards 77 and 78, as shown.

Finally, it will be readily understood, my improved machine is adapted to apply, successively, a number of coats of paint, or enamel, which would ordinarily be separately baked after each coat to only one side of each plate, in order to afiord sufficient covering qualities. The individual application of the successive coats of paint or enamel, in quick order, by means of this machine serves to build up the surfaces enameled and affords the same results as a plurality of separately baked coats of paint. The plates are held with their uncoated surfaces on the belts b, so as to expose the freshly coated surfaces to the drying air currents.

It will be apparent, however, that the process provided by the machine will not completely dry the paint between the different coats thereof, as in the case of'separately baked or dried coats otherwise applied, and this is not desirable. On the other hand, with my machine, each coat is permitted to set only sufliciently to cause the paint to flow and spread evenly over the surface of the metal and to cause the succeeding coat of paint to readily adhere thereto. Thus, though each coat is set sufliciently for the purpose stated, each coat is still in a wet state when the next coat is applied and it is quite possible to wipe the paint from the metal after the application of the final coat. It is uite apparent that with my process and madliine the three coats of paint shown and described, or more coats where desired, may be applied to the plates in the same time and with equal results as compared with a single application of paint in the same and ordinary process.

What I claim is:

1. An enameling machine comprising a plurality of spaced enameling units, belt conveyers connecting said units for holding the articles fiatwise, inclosed channels for receiving said conveyers. and means for forcing air through said channels.

2. An enameling machine comprising a plurality of alternately arranged coating and drying elements, means for advancing articles fiatwise and successively from one to the other of said elements, and forced and means for directing air currents thereagainst.

4. An enameling machinecomprising en amel applyin means, means for conveyin the articles atwise therefrom, horizonta belts for inclosing said articles for a eriod of time during their movement, force draft .means for directing air currents against said articles, and heating means for said air, as set forth.

5. An enameling machine comprisin a plurality of spaced enameling units, elt conveyers intermediate said units, and elongated air casings inclosing said conve ers having upwardly and rearwardly exten ing air inlets and means for forcing currents of air longitudinally of the machine, for the purpose set forth.

6. An enameling machine comprising a plurality of spaced enameling units, horizontally operating belts intermediate said units, elongated air casings inclosing said belts and having air inlets near their rear ends and thereabove means for forcing air currents through said casing, and vertical stacks for discharging the air currents there- 85 from at points rearwardly of said enameling units.

7. An enameling machine comprisin a plurality of spaced enamelin units, e ongated casings horizontally disposed in ermediate said units, pulleys at the ends thc reof, horizontally conveyer belts operating over said pulleys and over the floor of and through said casings for connecting said units, and spacedair inlets and outlets for said casings and means for forcing currents of air longitudinally through said casings.

8. An enameling machine including a plurality of spaced enameling units, horizontal fiat members intermediate said units, elongated casings forming air passages inclosing portions of said flat members, conveyer belts operating over said flat members and through said casings for conveying articles atwise therethrough, air inlets forward of said intermediate units and outlets rearward of said units, and means for forcing air currents longitudinally through said casings.

' Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, and State of California, this 30th day of December, 1919.

ROBERT H. PRICHARD. 

